Grafmatics

[stompyq]

I am still new to LF and still learning so please pardon my ignorance. I'am very intrested in using grafamatics with my 4x5 wista but have no idea whether my camera needs to have a graflock back (mine does not). Can i just insert it like a regular holder in to the spring back?

[David Starr]

I am still new to LF and still learning so please pardon my ignorance. I'am very intrested in using grafamatics with my 4x5 wista but have no idea whether my camera needs to have a graflock back (mine does not). Can i just insert it like a regular holder in to the spring back?

They work fine with my Tachihara's spring back.

[Neal Shields]

I wouldn't. Grafmatics are about half again as thick as a normal film holder. Two grafmatics are about as thick as three film holders.

On my cameras with spring backs you are really risking breaking something.

Also note there are two different types of grafmatics.

Graflex.org has the most information on this.

Grafmatics are great fun to play with but can be finiky, especially if the septums have been damaged which is easy to do.

If you are just starting out you will have more than enough problems without adding any more complexity.

Go with regular film holders or a pack film.

[william linne]

I"ve used them dozens of times with cameras with spring backs. Never a problem. I disagree with the statement that they are finicky. Unless the septums are bent (which you can tell right away by just looking at them) they are pretty rugged and dependable. It's nice to carry four of them instead of 12 regular film holders. I find that they hold the film very very flat,too.

W.

[Henry Ambrose]

Grafmatics are wonderful, IMO. The question is will they fit under your camera's back. Some backs don't open enough for a Grafmatic to fit comfortably or at all. Don't force it in or you might bend the backsprings. You'll have to try it to see.

[Paul Ewins]

It will depend on the camera. My old Calumet C400 didn't have springs long enough for the grafmatic to fit under the spring back. My Cambo SC on the other hand is fine. Try putting two filmholders in at once, if they fit then the Grafmatic will be fine.

I love grafmatics and have twenty or so. Part of the reason I have so many is that I have been upgrading some of those that are too worn. These things are mostly 40+ years old now and were used by professional photographers so a lot of them had very hard lives. The septums will cause jamming if bent, but it is a simple matter to straighten them up again. I check the septums before reloading, it only takes a couple of minutes.

If you are buying on eBay I suggest you go for the newest looking ones you can lay your hands on. If buying at a swap meet or from a shop you should shuffle through the septums a couple of times. The action should be smooth and without any scraping noises.

I've written a few pages about grafmatics here (http://members.optusnet.com.au/~paulewins/resources/grafmatic.htm) that may help

[stompyq]

Thanks everybody for the replys. Neal i've been shooting with LF for over 6 months now with my 4x5 wista wood feild (the one just before the wista DX). The back does open fairly wide. The main reason for going with them is that the regular holders are bulky and i frequently walk away from a shot b/c of too few holders that i had packed. I can't afford quickloads and can't justify there extra cost. Plus with 6 shots i could quickly shoot a changing scene without swapping holders. Lastly i am planning a lengthy vacation overseas sometime in the spring/summer. I want to cut down on the load plus by that time be comfortable with whatever i am carring

[Chuck Pere]

I use grafmatics with my 4x5 Wista wood field and have no problems.

[Neal Wydra]

Dear stompyq,

I have found that to avoid jamming, the best way to cycle a graphmatic is when it is in the normal camera orentation. When I first started using them, I would face the camera down while cycling to the next sheet. This caused me significant problems.

Neal Wydra

[Alan Davenport]

I own one Grafmatic, so I have a small amount of experience with them. They were wonderful for press photographers back in the days when 4x5 Speed Graphics were the norm. In such an application, the Grafmatic gave them the ability to shoot many times faster than if they had to mess with darkslides and flipping holders, etc. Film packs were even better (yes, I actually used those when they were still available in the 1970's.)

Frankly, I don't understand the allure today. They don't make the photos better. Modern LF photographers, with one exception I can think of, don't have any need for the speed Grafmatics afford (the exception being David Burnett; my apology to anyone else who's using LF for "real time" photography.) The last excuse I hear people using for Grafmatics is that they are lighter and smaller than a stack of double holders; for those the better solution is Quick/Readyloads. Let's not forget that, with Grafmatics, you're pretty much stuck with waiting until you've shot all 6 sheets, unless you really enjoy the complexity of loading and unloading them.

I personally use mostly standard double holders, followed by Readyloads. I'll choose my Calumet roll holder and shoot 120 film before I'll choose the Grafmatic. What are Grafmatics worth these days, anyhow?

[David A. Goldfarb]

Quickloads/Readyloads come in bulky boxes and not all films are available in that form.

Arguably, film flatness is better with Grafmatics in good condition than with standard holders, so they may in fact make the photos better. I think there was a comparison in _Pop Photo_ many years ago that made this claim. I don't think it matters that much, but it's an interesting possibility.

Anyone who shoots 4x5" portraits can take advantage of the speed of Grafmatic holders, aside from press-style shooting (which I also do with my Technika).

It is a bit harder to sort out the sheets, but if you can count to six, it's not that difficult.

[Frank Petronio]

I sold my Grafmatics when I sold the RB SLR and regret that. Now they seem to be undergoing renewed popualrity and their prices are climbing, so I won't buy any until the hoopla that threads like these create.

You need to get several and figure you'll get one so-so one out of the bunch. By comparing them to each other, you can figure out what a good one is supposed to feel like - silky smooth and faster than any other way to shoot sheet film.

I don't mind the price of Readyloads but not having any ISO 400 emulsions is a huge mistake on Kodak and Fuji's part. But maybe the sleeves aren't light tight enough?

The only problem with the Grafmatics is they are heavy, but not as heavy as six holders and certainly easier to pack.

If anyone has five good Grafmatics I'll go $50 each...

[Ed K.]

Grafmatic holders work with most spring backs. I love mine, and the 6 sheets are a perfect match to a small tank such as the HP Combiplan - shoot six, develop six. They make it easy to keep different emulsions at the ready too. Load one with slow B&W, one with color, and one with a medium or high speed B&W. They definitely keep film very flat too. Weight isn't too bad either. I love using them for hand-held shots, however they are great for pod-based and beanbag-based work.

Some things to look for:

1. Bent septums as said before. If they are not completely flattened, you can often use a thin stainless ruler on the film retaining bent-over edges and a little working to bring them back if not too stretched.

2. Cracks in the dark slide handle, which is often plastic, and missing screws. It can be tough to find the right screws for them. Naturally, look for cracks elsewhere too.

3. Gauling - if you see strong skid marks of aluminum on the steel cartridge that slides out, you'll have a tough time getting the holder to work smoothly again. Such a holder is pretty worn out, but might still work. Just don't pay too much for it.

4. If it has tape or some goober junk on it, consider removing it to see what that tape or goober stuff hides. Often, people try to foist a defective holder on an eager buyer this way.

Take care when you put the Grafmatic back together after your first look inside. If you put the septums in upside-down or backwards, then close the Grafmatic, you'll surely bend them! If it doesn't close smoothly, check for this first before shoving it closed too far.

Not that anyone would want to remove their ground glass to install the back (hmmm, save weight?), but the grooves in the sides allow using the Graflock tabs of some cameras to secure the back in lieu of using the spring back. This is of course a great way to use an otherwise perfectly calibrated Speed or Crown Graphic that is missing its back or had its back "borrowed" by another camera.

Good ones can bring very good money. I'd happily pay $125 each for a couple of perfect, like-new ones. Users can go between 65 and 75. If you find a real clean, working, nice one with ALL of its pieces for $50 - it's a great deal. The trouble is, you'd be at a funeral and grief stricken over the lose of a good photog friend or relative. I doubt anyone ever dumps a great Grafmatic if they still shoot 4x5.

What a shame that nobody has copied these and made new ones. Surely the patents have expired by now? Frank, my bid is $50.01!

[stompyq]

Ed, thanks for the pointers on picking up a used grapfmatic. My minds made up about them. Now all i need to do is wait for a good one to turn up.

[David A. Goldfarb]

Not that anyone would want to remove their ground glass to install the back (hmmm, save weight?), but the grooves in the sides allow using the Graflock tabs of some cameras to secure the back in lieu of using the spring back

Actually, for handheld shooting press-camera-style, I do it all the time--go out with one cammed lens, a few Grafmatics or Kinematics and leave the groundglass at home.

[RichSBV]

One note of caution when using a Grafmatic with a spring back. When you cycle a sheet, the sheet in front (which you just shot) is fully exposed to the open front of the case. The darkslide is behind this sheet. Without the Graflok sliders holding it in place, it's very easy to pull the case slightly away from the camera body and exposing that sheet to light. When I use Grafmatics on my Super, I always lock the sliders into the case to prevent this. And no, you don't hvae to remove the GG panel to use the sliders to lock it in place.

One other item to watch out for on these is the four flat springs inside the case. They do break and are next to impossible to replace. Real inconvenient anyway...